News Room

Approaching the Final Stretch: Only a Few Weeks Left in Legislative Session

Last week, the Legislature returned to session for its final month. The following are bills the Planning and Conservation League are closely tracking. Many of these bills made their way out of Appropriations Committee and are on their way to the Floor of their opposite house of origin, but some are stuck in Suspense for later review on Thursday. If bills pass Appropriations, they are sent to the Floor for the full vote of the Senate or the Assembly; and with Floor passage, they are sent to the Governor for his final review.

Bills that have made it to Floor vote:

AB 1178 (Ma) – This bill prohibits an ordinance enacted by a city or county, including an ordinance enacted by initiative by the voters of a city or county, from otherwise restricting or limiting the importation of solid waste into a privately owned solid waste facility in that city or county based on place of origin. PCL Opposes

AB 1319 (Butler) – The bill would enact the Toxin-Free Infants and Toddlers Act, which would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or distribution in commerce of any bottle or cup that contains the cancer causing chemical bisphenol A (BPA) that is intended primarily for infants or children three years of age or younger’s use. PCL Supports

SB 244 (Wolk) – This bill requires cities, counties and local agency formation commissions (LAFCOs) to analyze infrastructure deficiencies in unincorporated disadvantaged communities. Many disadvantaged unincorporated communities lack public services and even public facilities like domestic water, sanitary sewers, paved streets, storm drains, and street lights, and some cities and special districts are reluctant to annex these areas. The bill will require local officials to include disadvantaged unincorporated communities in their long-range planning for land use and public facilities. PCL Supports

Bills held in the Suspense File:

AB 359 (Huffman) – This bill would create incentives for local water agencies, that opt to develop groundwater management plans, to include a groundwater map that indentifies prime groundwater recharge areas. PCL Supports

AB 591 (Wieckowski) – This bill would define “hydraulic fracturing” (aka ‘fracking’) and require a person carrying out hydraulic fracturing on behalf of an owner or operator at a well to provide to the owner or operator a list of the chemical constituents used in the hydraulic fracturing fluid and the amount of water and hydraulic fracturing fluid recovered from the well. PCL Supports

SB 517 (Lowenthal) – This bill restructures the governing board of the High-Speed Rail Authority (HSRA) and establishes conflict of interest restrictions on board members and authority employees and contractors. PCL Lead Support